Ajoene is 4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene-9-oxide, having a structural formula as follows: ##STR1##
Ajoene, and a precursor thereof, can be isolated from extracts of garlic (Allium sativum). As the garlic is crushed, alliin in the garlic comes into contact with allinase in the cell wall to form allicin. Then, in the presence of a polar molecule such as a lower alcohol or even water, allicin forms Ajoene.
Ajoene has been previously shown to inhibit platelet aggregation by inactivating allosterically the platelet integrin, GP IIb/IIIa (Apitz-Castro R. et al.: Biophys. Res. Commun., 1986, 141:145). This inhibition of integrins by Ajoene is reversible.
Also, integrin-mediated formation of cell-to-cell contacts has been shown to typically be a prerequisite for membrane fusion (Hildreth, J. E. K. and Orentas, R. J., Science, 1989, 244:1075).